National Republican., 1887-02-01
Cast Iron Guns aud Mortars.

When the conference report on the army
appropriation bill was submitted In the
Senate on Tuesday, Senator Hawley took
occasion to make inquiry concerning the
status Of the fortifcaton bill, and was
answered by Senator Dawes, chairman OF
the Senate conference committee on the
measure, as follows:
The committee OF conference held two or
three meetings during the first session of Con.
gress. and were unable TO agree. They made
report TO their respective houses and their
reports were accepted and n new committee
appointed, which held mt tctings with thesam
result and made the same report. new com.
mittee was appointed at the close OF the last
session. Immediately upon the assembling of
this session the committee were called to.
gether, and have had several meetings with
out being able as yet to agree, Whether IL is
exist in the committee Of conference am not
certain. have no objection TO stating what
the difficulties are. II 1t Is proper matter for
disclosure here. There is some prospect tha,
In some shape there may be an early agree
ment. The conferences have been Interrupted
by the absence of two of the members of the
House, one of them having been called home
to Alabama by telegraph on account Of sick
ness in his family. As soon as the conferees
can be got together again II Is the intention of
the committee to make further effort, with
what result no one can tell. The difficulties
seem to be radical The difference in the con.
ltrCuCc lS DelWetH uOlup suDsLdu-
tally nothing, and appropriating So, 900 zoo or
$1,000, 600 to begin the work Of coast deienses
No one can need in this body to have his at
tention called 10 the necessity and Importance
of beginning that work. There seems to be
| lack of confidence on the part OF some of the
| members OF the committee IN those who would
execute the law under existing administra.
| tion. think If the committee of conference
| could be induced to establish a new bureau for
| the purpose OF executing the law good deal
| of the difficulty could be got over. Whether
they will be able to agree to that and report to
| their two houses for sanction l am not able to
| say.
So It would appear that the conferees
have not yet agreed upon tho terms OF a
| fortlfcation bill, and we observe that there
| is also difference OF opinion as to how far
the ordnance bureau should control the
| appropriation when made. But we pre-
| sumo the most difficult questions before the
| committee are just how far to discriminate
| in favor of steel as material for guns, how
| best provide for "the development of our
steel industries" what kind OF steel ought
| to be procured, and at what rate and at
what price we are likely TO procure the
| guns. These are important questions, Of a
\ more or less technical character, and we
think the committee will have to make up
It's mind to trust to our engineer and ord
nance bureaus to certain degree in the
matter and to considerable delay.
In the meantime, however, our attention
is challenged by the admirable performance
| Of cast iron guns and mortars at Sandy
| Hook. and Mr.. VIM. p. Hunt--whose expe-
rience and long study Of the question and
honest patriotism entities his opinion to be
| gauged by higher standard than that Of an
Interested NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that the
| public interests demand that we shall not
| walt for the uncertain aud long-delayed
development Of our steel plants and the set
tlement Of disputes In relation thereto, but
| proceed to equip at once our forts with heavy
| cast-iron guns and mortars. When Mr.. Hunt
and Capt. Butler and the late Col. Laidley
| were urging in these columns, and before
those appointed to consider the subject, the
fair and crucial test Of American "gun iron"
under the improved conditions of modern
construction and service, they claim that II
a gun Of 12 inches caliber should be proved
| capable OF enduring reasonable number OF
rounds with charges Of $50 pounds of pow
der and projectiles under 700 pounds, we
had abundant need Of such guns, as they
would would be capable Of penetrating pa tha,ols IL
be available for many important posi-
tions In any system of harbor defense. The
only two ordnance officers in the Getty
board also expressed faith In the wisdom OF
such trial. The 12-inch breech-loading
gun at Sandy Hook has certainly more than
justified the wisdom of it's trial, having en-
dured, without other injury than the scor-
Ing OF the bore common to all large guns,
over 100 rounds with 265 pounds of powder
and projectiles Of 500 pound, giving veloci-
ties Of over 200 feet per second, which is
equivalent TO q penetration Of twenty
inches Of iron at mile. This is a very
significant fact when viewed In connection
with Sir L. j. Reeds exhibit Of the IRON
clad fleet of France in the January number
Of Hdrper's Magazine. An inspection Of
this article will show that there are few
vessels in either the French or English
navies which could Withstand the fire of
this Sandy Hook gun. Even the two YES
sells with % inch armor have that only In a
belt at the water line, the guns being pro-
tected by only l2-inch plates.